


How Big A Club Do You Need?

by Rod



Series: Parallel Lines [23]
Category: Veritas: The Quest
Genre: Alley Sex, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 19:13:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/815040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rod/pseuds/Rod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nikko, Cal and Juliet go to meet a contact in a club. Things don't quite go according to anyone's plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Big A Club Do You Need?

Cal thinks he may never be able to show his face among his colleagues again.

Dr Zond's contact insisted on holding their meet in a club, and Cal had no problem with that. He and Juliet could dress down, enjoy themselves, meet the mystery woman and get out with a lead to something that might be another part of the Ring. Simple and straightforward, just the way Cal liked it.

The trouble began when Nikko heard the word "club" and insisted on coming along. He knew the club scene after all, even if he didn't know this particular place — a fact which provoked an argument with his father over exactly _how_ he got to know anything about New York clubs — and he insisted that Cal always stuck out like a sore thumb. That in turn provoked an argument with Cal as to how Nikko knew anything about Cal's clubbing habits, which left Cal with the distinct impression that Nikko had been stalking him. He wasn't quite sure whether to be pleased or outraged about that.

Fortunately there had been more urgent things to be outraged about, because Nikko had managed to make this all about how Cal dressed. Cal was really put out that Juliet had taken one look at the "CCCP" T-shirt he was wearing and agreed that Cal shouldn't be allowed to dress himself. Sniping from Nikko and Vincent, who reckoned that a blind man showed more colour coordination than Cal, that he expected. Snippy comments from Juliet hurt.

So he'd ended up being ordered to go clothes shopping, with Juliet along as fashion consultant. Which would have been OK had Juliet not vetoed every choice Cal made, particularly anything that Cal thought was actually comfortable to wear. Everything had to be tighter or shorter or both, until Cal was pretty sure that if he tried to dance in anything Juliet picked out for him it would split immediately.

Which leads him back to now, walking into the lab where everyone else is gathered before they head out. Walking very carefully, since the leather trousers Juliet picked out for him are tight enough that his underwear had been cutting off the circulation to his legs before he gave up and ditched his briefs. The gauzy mesh top that leaves practically nothing to the imagination really isn't helping either; with everything on display, suave and confident aren't things that Cal is feeling at all.

Maggie whistles as he walks in, and even Dr Zond agrees that Cal is going to get Ali Burns's attention dressed like that when Vincent makes some sarcastic remark about him cleaning up prettily. Cal doesn't pay them too much attention, though. He's too busy trying not to stare at Nikko.

Nikko is opening and closing his mouth like he can't decide where to start in on Cal's discomfort, but that's not what Cal's trying not to see. No, that honour goes to the plain white T-shirt and scuffed jeans that Nikko is wearing, which somehow manage to be revealing despite covering everything up. It's not fair, Cal thinks; after hours of pushing from Juliet and the use of the company credit card, he looks like an idiot. Nikko throws on any old thing and he looks like sex on a stick. It's a good thing Cal has self-denial down to an art-form, otherwise he'd be tempted to proposition Nikko right here in front of everyone.

Juliet arrives, dressed in something simple and low-cut that implies more than it reveals. If she wasn't well aware of how important this is, Cal would suspect that she has just been trying to humiliate him given how much of him is on show. As it is, he's definitely feeling put-upon right now.

He pulls himself together long enough to go through the plan one last time. Juliet and Nikko are to go in as a couple, just to be backup. Nikko smirks at Juliet and promises to keep his eyes firmly on the job, a promise that no one believes for a moment. Vincent and Dr Zond will be outside the club a short distance away, ready to move if Maggie gets any signal from Nikko or Juliet. Calvin is to be the one to make contact, though he's beginning to feel more like bait. He dutifully repeats the pass-phrases that Burns will be expecting, and for good measure adds the limits of his negotiating power and the proofs he'll expect that what she's got is genuine. He thinks Dr Zond might be a little impressed, but really he's just operating on autopilot. Nikko does that to him at the best of times, and right now he's just surprised that no one can see his brains dribbling out of his ears.

Cal spends the journey to the club sitting quietly in the back of the car. Partly because he doesn't trust himself not to say anything stupid, partly because he's trying desperately to get himself into the right headspace, but mostly because Nikko will not let up with the smart remarks. If Cal had dressed this way deliberately he might possibly be a little flattered by all the attention he's getting from Nikko, but this is just embarrassing.

Eventually Dr Zond drops them off a block from the _Eressos_ with a last warning to be careful. Nikko practically drags them forwards, clearly eager to enjoy an officially sanctioned night out even after Juliet reminds him the Veritas Foundation won't be paying for his drinks. He is rather less enthusiastic when Cal points out they'll be non-alcoholic drinks too, but that's about as much of a victory as Cal's expecting from this evening.

Cal is absorbed in morose thoughts about how much fun it isn't going to be trying not to watch Nikko flirting constantly with Juliet, so he doesn't notice Nikko stop dead until he runs into him. "What?" he snaps.

"Uh, guys, I think we've got a problem." Nikko is looking up at the illuminated sign in front of the club, which proclaims in bright pink terms that this is a gay club. A very gay club, to judge by the people heading into it. Which figures, since Eressos is the birthplace of Sappho who wrote all the lesbian poetry that Greek scholars get a kick out of, except that Cal is feeling more kicked at the moment.

"Oh my," Juliet says, eyeing the very male couple walking in wearing police hats and not a whole lot else. Cal tries to find words and fails. If he felt embarrassed by the idea of walking around wearing what he's wearing and having women stare at him, the idea of spending the entire evening with guys staring at his ass is pretty damn terrifying. Granted it's mostly terrifying because he can't quite convince himself that he doesn't like the idea, but still. This was territory Cal wasn't familiar with to start with, and now he feels like someone just stole his map.

"OK," Nikko says decisively, "change of plan. Juliet, you're going to have to be the one to make contact. Cal and I will keep an eye out for you and look pretty." He smirks at Cal, who decides he can't let this just pass.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute. Who died and put you in charge?"

Nikko's look is scornful enough on its own. "Who exactly do you think isn't going to look out of place talking to Alison Burns in there?"

"I wonder if this was deliberate?" Juliet muses. "She must have been expecting Dr Zond."

"And Dad would fit in even less well here than at a regular club," Nikko adds.

"Right." Cal thinks quickly, but can't see any other way around the problem. "Here's what we're going to do. Juliet, you take point. You remember the contact details?" Juliet quickly repeats the information Cal had memorised while Nikko rolls his eyes. That's just tough for Nikko, Cal thinks; this is his operation and he's the one who's got to make the decisions.

"You stick with me," he tells Nikko. "You don't wander off, you don't start chatting up any of the girls, hell you don't even breathe without my say so. Got it?"

"Anything you say, sweetie," Nikko says, slipping an arm around Cal's waist provocatively.

It's all Cal can do not to leap away. Or leap on Nikko, which would be just as bad. "And you keep your hands to yourself."

"Do you want us to look like couple or what?"

"Definitely 'what'," Cal mutters as Juliet gives Nikko an odd look.

"'Couple' it is, then," Nikko says smugly.

Cal doesn't get an opportunity to protest before Nikko drags him inside. Oh, this is going to be pure torture, he thinks as the sights and sounds of the club assault him. Fooling other people into believing that he and Nikko are an item is going to be easy. Fooling Nikko into believing that he's only fooling, that's going to require Cal to act his socks off. Given that he isn't wearing any socks under these trousers for which Cal has several very interesting Egyptian curses lined up, that could turn to crap real fast.

Nikko is already in full party mode, grinning like a loon as he hauls Cal over to the bar and orders a vodka and orange. "What?" he asks as Cal scowls at him. "It's a club. You can't expect me not to drink in a club."

Cal intercepts the vodka as it appears. "He'll have a club soda," he tells the barman. Nikko looks rebellious for a moment, but seems to let it go when the barman gives Cal a sly look. Cal forces himself to grin knowingly back at the barman, then has to go through contortions to get some cash out of his pants. At least he'll know for sure about any pickpockets, he thinks wryly.

Cal leans against the bar, nursing the alcohol he doesn't actually want. He notices Juliet come in, getting herself a drink before moving round the club in search of their contact. She's oozing a confidence Cal's pretty sure she doesn't feel, but he trusts her to know what she's doing. He flicks his eyes away from her, not wanting to be caught staring.

Beside him, Nikko knocks back the last of his soda, slaps his glass back down on the bar and bounces off onto the dance floor before Cal can remind him that they're supposed to stick together. Cal suppresses a groan, but stares after him. This time he'd be expected to after all, that's his boyfriend out there getting appreciative looks from everyone. Cal's quietly surprised at how well Nikko is taking being ogled by guys, but wonders if he should be. That looks like the Nikko of old out there, the one who unashamedly wants to be the centre of attention all the time. The one he started falling for despite him being a self-centred brat. The one who is flirting gently with anything that moves, and Cal squashes the jealousy he can feel rising. This isn't real, Nikko doesn't actually belong to him, he has no right to go out there and claim—

"Hey there, lonely." Cal turns to find a guy leaning on the bar beside him. Not a bad-looking guy either, with close-cropped black hair, five o'clock shadow and a shirt unbuttoned down to his navel. On another day Cal might even think he was sexy, but he's got Nikko with him tonight and nothing else is even going to come close. All the same, Cal would give meaningless gay sex some serious consideration if he wasn't working right now.

He says something neutral back, looking back out across the club to check on Juliet. She's still stalking their contact it seems, and Cal's a little surprised to notice that Nikko is tracking her despite looking like he's totally into his dancing. He feels a surge of pride that his brat has grown up.

The guy says something Cal doesn't quite catch over the music, probably his name. "I'm Calvin," he shouts back. Looking back at him, Cal is pinned in place by a lidded stare that leaves no doubt as to the guy's intentions.

"Well, Calvin, I bet you look just as good out of all that leather as in."

Calvin is sure he wants nothing to do with this guy, but he's not used to being the one who is chatted up. "What makes you think you're going to be the one to find out?" he asks, trying to think of put-downs that aren't going to start a fight.

The guy leans right into Cal's personal space. "I can be very persuasive," he says directly into Cal's ear before he starts nibbling. And yeah, it feels good having that tongue fiddling with his earring, but it's not what Cal wants. He's raising his hand to push the guy away when suddenly he finds himself with a face full of Nikko.

"Hi," Nikko says brightly, swiping the neglected vodka and orange for a quick sip.

Cal's would-be friend looks annoyed. "Buzz off, jailbait," he says.

Nikko laughs in his face. "Dance," he orders Cal. "Come on Chuck, show me your moves."

Cal allows himself to be dragged out onto the dance floor, swatting away one last attempt by his admirer to grab at his leather-clad ass. He can't help but grin, even if he won't give Nikko the pleasure of thanking him for the save. He lets himself get into the dancing, luxuriating in the driving beat, because he has to in order to keep up appearances. That's what he tells himself, and for a while he even manages to keep part of his attention floating back to Juliet, who still hasn't found the elusive Burns it seems. He has to at least look like he's looking at Nikko of course, how else could he dance with him like a boyfriend should?

The trouble is, it's really hard to keep his eyes off Nikko. Every time he looks, Nikko is staring back at him with that cocky grin that says everything's right with the world. Cal knows it's just an act, that Nikko's just pretending in the way that Cal isn't, and hell, Nikko's probably thinking of how he's going to use all this to embarrass Cal with later. It's just that he's wanted this, dreamed of this for so long, it's hard to remind himself it isn't real.

Then there's the dancing. Cal isn't much of a dancer, and he knows it. Oh, he's got a few moves and he can generally keep a girl happy, but John Travolta he is not. Nikko is more than good enough to make up for him, though; he mirrors Cal's every move, challenging him to try harder and drawing a few wolf-whistles from the crowd. All the time his eyes are locked on Cal's, looking into him, through him, but Cal doesn't care. This is the nearest he's ever going to get to his dream, and he's going to enjoy it while it lasts.

The song ends, the beat finally releasing Cal as a slower number takes over, and just as seamlessly Cal finds himself holding Nikko close and rocking gently in time to the music. He tries to burn this moment into his memory, breathless as he is from the last dance, because it doesn't get any better than this.

Nikko's taller than he thought, Cal realises. He's always thought of himself as the wiry but tall one; it doesn't matter if he ever does put any muscle on, he will always look thin. Nikko has always been broader, especially since he's been working out with Vincent, and in Cal's eyes that made him shorter somehow. Standing together now, leaning against one another, there is barely any difference between them. It's just that Nikko is solid, and Cal, well he feels like a strong breeze would knock him over if he wasn't clinging on.

"Door," Nikko whispers breathlessly in his ear, and slowly Cal starts coming back to reality. As near to reality as working for Veritas ever gets him, that is. Something must be going on with Juliet that he missed while his mind was fixed on Nikko, and he'll kick himself for that later but right now he still has Nikko and the memory of his moment, and he can't quite bring himself to be sorry he's been so lousy at keeping watch.

It takes him a while to get his head back in the game. He allows Nikko to steer him off the dance floor to start with, heading in the general direction of the bar until he finally figures out which door Nikko must be talking about. By the time they're through the emergency exit and out into the sheltered alley running alongside the club, Cal is back with it enough to be looking round for Juliet, Burns or any of Dorna's thugs.

He doesn't see anyone. "What—" is all he manages to get out before Nikko spins him round, pins him to the wall and kisses him savagely.

He must be dreaming, Cal thinks. Only in his dreams would Nikko be trying to crawl into his mouth like this, one hand threaded through Cal's hair and the other kneading his butt. Only in his dreams would he moan like that, his own hands running down Nikko's muscular back to cup his ass. Only in his dreams would Nikko grind against him like this, and then even that much thinking is beyond Cal. He kisses back just as fervently as Nikko kisses him because that's what happens in dreams, isn't it?

He feels hands scrabbling at the waistband of his suddenly wonderful leather trousers, whimpers a little as Nikko pulls away slightly to get better access. Never once breaking the kiss, he too fumbles at Nikko's jeans. There is a moment of frustration, then an intolerable pressure is released as his trousers are pushed open, and Nikko moans as he returns the favour, and Jesus Christ he's got another guy's dick in his hand. Except it's not another guy's, it's Nikko's, and Cal has dreamed about this but he never imagined it so hot, so hard. He pulls and squeezes, too far gone to think of how he likes to jerk off, but it doesn't seem to matter because because Nikko growls deep in his throat and he gives Cal's dick this little twist that has Cal almost breaking their kiss as he gasps.

Then they are grinding together again, awkwardly at first but building into a rhythm that sends sweet, sweet shocks through Cal time and again. They synchronise perfectly, Nikko and he, touching each other in all the right places to build and build the tension until finally Cal falls over the edge, coming harder than he's ever come before in his entire life.

He's so out of it he doesn't know whether Nikko comes before, during or after him. When he recovers his senses, panting like he's just run a marathon, Nikko is slumped up against him with a sticky mess cooling between them, and if it wasn't for the wall behind him he'd have collapsed long ago. As it is, Cal doesn't dare move for fear his legs will give way.

Cal can't keep this stupid grin off his face, and it turns out that Nikko is no better. They start laughing weakly, and it's all so perfect because _Cal has just had sex with Nikko_ and right now that's all that matters. He could kiss everything that got him here, including these stupid trousers, the guy who came onto him and even Alison Burns...

Crap.

Cal sobers up fast. "Juliet," he says, and sees reality come crashing back down onto Nikko too. Nikko swears as they tuck themselves back in, one hell of a feat of engineering in Cal's case, and try vainly to look like they haven't just had back-alley sex. Then they head through the door back into the club, still standing far too close to each other but then that's what everyone else will expect. Heck, Cal rationalises, it's good for their cover and maybe he'll manage to sell that idea to Juliet too.

Juliet, fortunately, doesn't seem to have noticed their absence. Cal spots her sat at a table with an older woman who's doing a damn good job of keeping her face hidden. Burns, he presumes, and he breathes a sigh of relief as he points them out to Nikko.

His relief is short-lived as Nikko swears quietly. Approaching Juliet are two brawny guys who stick out like sore thumbs. They might as well have "DORNA THUG" tattooed on their foreheads for all the subtlety they're showing here.

"Man," Nikko complains as he and Cal move to intercept, "I really didn't want to get thrown out of this club."


End file.
